- - Rita Simons Explains Why EastEnders Christmas Episodes Get So Dark

Johnathon KornbleeDecember 25, 2025 at 11:29 PM

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Few actors understand the pressure and cultural weight of a soap opera Christmas episode quite like Rita Simons. The former EastEnders star, who played Roxy Mitchell from 2006-2016, was frequently part of the show’s high-stakes holiday storylines, episodes that have become a defining tradition in British television. But what is it about Christmas that makes viewers gravitate towards chaos rather than comfort?

Simons recently spoke with Parade about her career, reflecting on her years on EastEnders and Hollyoaks, as well as whether she would consider appearing on Celebrity Traitors U.K.

When asked why Christmas episodes hold such significance in British soap operas, Simons pointed to EastEnders as the blueprint. “I actually think, not that I'm an expert, but I would say the EastEnders has led the way for Christmas carnage,” she told Parade.

“The earliest I can remember would be Dirty Den (Leslie Grantham) and Ang (Anita Dobson),” Simons said, referencing the iconic EastEnders Christmas Day episode in 1986, when Angie Watts was served divorce papers by her husband Den Watts, after months of deception. The episode drew more than 30 million viewers in the U.K., making it one of the most-watched television broadcast in history.

“It sort of led the way,” she explained. “The UK loves to give you the real. The fact is, Christmas Day is quite often a big fat mess for a lot of people.”

Simons added that EastEnders succeeded by resisting overly sentimental holiday storytelling. “All the shiny stuff you see on Instagram. I think in the past it's been a case of, let's put sparkles and glitter on everything,” she said. “But the real stuff is the interesting stuff. EastEnders always did that really well, and I think that really set a trend for all the Christmas storytelling across soaps.”

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“Not all of them, but a lot of them going down the really dark, moody route” Simons said on behalf of WhichBingo, “It's more interesting, isn't it, because you can see Christmas trees on every channel. You turn to EastEnders, you're going to see something horrific and then others follow suit.”

EastEnders streams Monday to Thursday’s on BritBox

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”